Shadowchasers: The Gold Coast
by Darth Brain
Summary: A spin-off of Cyber Commander's "Shadowchasers." Read as Australian Shadowchasers deal with a new and unknown threat, stemming from a deadly drug plot, in an attempt to restore and ancient evil. Please, R&R!


Hi everyone. I know it's odd for me to be doing a Yu-Gi-Oh! Fic, but I just had to write this. It's been playing over in my mind for a while now.

Firstly, thanks to **Cyber Commander**, for letting me write this story under his brand of the Shadowchasers. All rights of the **Shadowchasers** belong to him. I only own my OCs, nothing else.

I'd also like to thank **Cyber Commander** for coming up with the name of the drug used in this chapter: Stygian Dust.

Secondly, I will be using the English terms for the most part, along with the older duel terms, as the new ones annoy the crap out of me. As do decks based around Synchro summons, with no other cards. I miss the old days.

Anyway, let's cut to the chase. Below I have placed the details for 'Speed World', which is essential in 5D's. Just to put this in context, the story is set alongside **Cyber Commander**'s **Shadowchasers**, a few days after the Fortune Cup ends.

Now, as my MC says: 'Load up and kick out!'

**SPEED WORLD (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** An explosion of energy.

**Card Description:** Each player can have a copy of this card on the field simultaneously. This card is automatically activated at the start of the duel. If you play a Spell Card that does not have the words "Speed Spell" in its name, take 2,000 points of damage. During each player's Standby Phase, starting on the second turn, place 1 Speed Counter on this card (max. 12 for each player). Reduce your number of Speed Counters by one for each increment of 1,000 Life Points of damage you lose from a single source.

Speed World can even be activated against a player's will, such as in the case of a criminal being chased by someone using a Special Pursuit Deck. As such, it does not appear to be a true card _per se_, but rather a virtual card that appears on each D-Wheel whenever a Turbo Duel starts. Other abilities are not mentioned on the card. It apparently cannot be destroyed, displaced, or "bounced" by any action the duellists can make, seeing as it was unharmed by Yusei's "Speed Spell – Gap Storm", the effect of which was similar to "Heavy Storm". However, Speed World still qualifies as a Field Spell for all intents and purposes. (If it didn't, then Kiryu's "Earthbound God – Ccapac Apu" would have been powerless when he summoned it, even by anime rules.)

Speed Spells are important factors in all Turbo Duels. To use one, you require a specific amount of Speed Counters, depending on the Spell in question. The more powerful the Speed Spell, the more Counters you require. As a result of this, a deck used in a Turbo Duel tends to have more Trap Cards than usual, to compensate for the inability to use many Spell Cards.

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**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's**

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**Shadowchasers:**

**The Gold Coast**

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**A fanfic by Darth Brain**

_**Someone once described life as a game. And, in a way, I suppose it's true. I mean, my life essentially revolves around Duel Monsters, and they can mean life or death for me, depending on how well I play. **_

_**I never really understood people's concepts of life, as they spent their whole lives blind to others, focused on themselves. I had learned an appreciation for the beauty of the world, and its spirituality. Had I become closer to religion? Well, yes, but I wasn't a fanatic. It just influenced by playing style, allowing me to see the benefit of solid strategy, combined with the right cards. **_

_**Who am I? Well, that's a little difficult to explain. I have so many names now. My name…my real name, that is, is Brian Fitzgerald. Though my friends back home in Ireland had several names for me: Beezer, Ridire, Chaos…A list that goes on too long. So call me Brian, as my superiors do, or better yet, just call me Chaos. Everyone else does, and it's easier to remember. **_

_**I bet you want to hear about what type of duellist I am. You probably think I'm one of those duellists of prophesy, with an arcane purpose and a great destiny. Let me tell you: all of that is bullshit. Pure bullshit. We all do as we please. There is no destiny. **_

_**I'm seventeen years old, and all but an orphan. My parents are dead, my little Sis is in a coma, and my younger brother is at Duel Academy. So you'll have to excuse me for being rough with you. My life was without interest until my parents died, and then my life found its true purpose. I also developed an unhealthy habit of smoking. Though I only smoke when I'm angry or annoyed. **_

_**I had taken a turn in my life, and started on a fresh page. Soon, I had created my own Duel Disk, based on the DiaDhank of ancient times, and built a Duel Runner for extreme speeds. Finally, I could escape, and do as I pleased. **_

_**I was soon moved from Ireland to Australia, because they had a crisis in dealing with their problems, and I was recommended for the job. Though, of course, everything has a price…**_

_**One which I had to pay every day of my life after…**_

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**CHAPTER ONE**

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**Midnight Showdown**

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_**It was midnight on a Friday. While everyone else was at home, getting rest, I was at the docks, doing my job. I had been waiting for four hours, before the ship rolled in. **_

_**I remember it well. It was two days after the Champion of Japan, Jack Atlas, had been beaten by Yusei Fudo, a Satellite. Of course, I had bet on Yusei. The outsider always wins, and Jack was an ass with extreme hubris, or pride, depending on your literary ability. **_

_**I had gotten a good laugh, but then I had to head out on the mission. Of course, I was the one who had set it up; the superiors had agreed, as long as I brought back evidence. That was the easy part. The hard part was being able to go in and out without getting knee-capped. **_

_**Anyway, I had gotten myself into the situation, and I was more than capable of getting out of it. Little did I know that I was about to stumble across one of the biggest smuggling rings in the world…**_

It was midnight; the pale moon hung wearily against the pitch black sky, twinkling stars scattered across its velvety texture. The docks were usually empty at this time of night, except for a select group of guards.

The ship rolled into the port silently, docking without a sound, as the crew scrambled to off load its cargo, with the help of those on the ground. Most would take no notice of this; pharmaceuticals always had to be brought in late at night, to avoid crowds.

However, a young man was perched on top of a container, watching the shipment being brought in through a pair on binoculars. A Duel Runner was parked behind the container he was laying on, hidden from sight. This, however, was no ordinary Duel Runner. It was a stream line arrowhead shape, built around a large wheel.

The young man narrowed his eyes, and slid off the container, dropping to the ground without a sound. He stowed the binoculars in his coat, and checked his duel disk. It was styled on a DiaDhank, in neutral colours. He pulled out the deck in it, stowed it in a pocket on his belt, and removed another, placing in his Duel Disk.

He checked around the area, ensuring that the area was clear, before slipping down to the shipyard itself. To most people, it would look unassuming: several men and women lifting boxes of pharmaceuticals from a ship, into trucks to be taken to the local pharmacies.

Of course, to the young man, half of the 'workers' weren't even human. Some were short with pointy ears, and talon nails, while others were large, hulking boar-like humanoids. They were clearly goblins and orcs, which was strange, as the two species rarely ever got on, without fighting and beating each other to a pulp.

But that wasn't where the oddities ended, however. The one barking the orders appeared as a large, hulking creature, with grey skin, and clawed hands and feet, long horns on its head, and yellow-red eyes. It was clearly a gargoyle, which was strange, as they were very secretive, and usually hid in the shadows, preferring to operate in the shadows.

He barked at the others, his voice coarse and rough. "Hurry it up! We need to get this shipment to our man, before they get sent on to the others, and we can get our payment!"

That was all the incentive that he needed. As suspected, there was some form of illegal drug being smuggled in, and was obviously being produced by Shadows. Of course, to get it on the streets, it would need to be smuggled in amongst shipment of other drugs, which would then be separated at another location, before being sent to their final destination.

"Well, well. I didn't know that you Shadows were so into drug dealing," the man said, stepping out of the shadows, a cigarette in his mouth.

"Oh, lookie here, boys," the gargoyle said. "We got a Shadowchaser here! What do you want? Is this is about the treaty, I'll beat you. But considering how you have a slight drug problem yourself, how about a deal? I'm sure the two of us could figure something out…"

"No thanks. I don't deal in drugs," he said, throwing the cigarette into the water. "I only deal with legal companies, and Shadows that haven't made about a dozen violations of the treaty. Every Shadow here is going to Shadowchaser HQ for processing, and all Humans will be taken in by the police. So let's do this quietly."

"No thanks, Shadowchaser. We'll beat you, and ensure that this shipment goes to our associates. We are not getting pushed around by you and your pointless treaty! You can shove it!" The gargoyle said, snarling at the Shadowchaser.

"Look, we can do this the easy way," he said, gesturing at his Duel Disk, "or the hard way," gesturing at the sword on his back. "It's your choice. But you'll go down, one way, or the other."

"Let's do this the fair way, Shadowchaser. We'll duel for it," The gargoyle replied. "I win, and you leave, but -"

"I win and you come with me," he replied. "Enough talk. Let's do this!" His duel disk separated into three blades, and the holographic display activated. The gargoyle grew hid duel disk out of his arm, and the display activated as well. Both duellists drew five cards, and the crowd of Humans and Shadows gathering around the gargoyle, and cheering for their boss.

"Before I beat you to a pulp, I shall let you know my name. I am Mesora, the greatest gargoyle duellist in Sydney!" he announced, his voice like a fog horn.

"I didn't need to know your name, because it's hardy important to me. However, you will address me as Chaos. Don't forget it," he replied to Mesora. "Now let's Duel!"

**(Chaos: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Mesora: 8,000)**

"I'll draw!" Mesora yelled, drawing a card from his deck, and adding it to his hand.

"And I'll play this to defend me…"

A facedown defence position Monster appeared.

"Then I'll set these two cards facedown…"

Two reversed cards appeared.

"And that will do for my first turn."

Chaos made his draw, adding the card to his hand, and checking his hand over.

"Alright, to start things off, I'll play Cost Down," Chaos said, sliding a card into his Disk.

A green Magic card appeared in front of him, showing a level meter being struck by two swords.

"So I'll discard this…" He said, sending Reckless Greed to his Graveyard. "And I'll Summon Chaos Command Magician in Attack Mode!"

A green and gold Magician appeared, holding a sword shaped staff. (2400 ATK/1900 DEF)

"Now, Chaos Command Magician! Take out his facedown!" Chaos yelled.

The Magician rushed forward, and brought his staff down on the card. It revealed to show Pyramid Turtle (1200 ATK/1400 DEF), before shattering.

"Thanks for taking out my Pyramid Turtle. Now I can summon this!" Mesora said, slapping a new card on his Disk.

A blue haired vampire, with a cloak and a large red wing appeared in a fighting stance. (2000 ATK/800 DEF)

"I'll play these two cards face down, and end my turn," Chaos said.

Two reversed cards appeared before him, and disappeared.

"My turn!" Mesora said, drawing a card. "I'll summon my Zombie Master!"

A strange monster appeared, that looked like a man, surrounded by Zombies. (1800 ATK/0 DEF)

"Now, I'll activate his special effect! I discard one card, and I can summon one Zombie-type from either Graveyard. So, I'll bring back Plaguespreader Zombie from my Graveyard!"

A grotesque zombie, made of several creatures appeared, glaring at Chaos. (400 ATK/200 DEF)

"A Tuner -!" Chaos said, surprised at the creature.

"Yes, it is! Now, I'll Tune Plaguesprader Zombie with Master Zombie…"

Plaguespreader glowed an eerie purple, and howled. Both be and Zombie Master jumped into the air, before dissolving into six stars, which flashed into a pillar.

"I summon Revived King Ha Des!" Mesora yelled.

The fallen King appeared, rising from the ground, as if he had been wakened from his death. (2450 ATK/0 DEF)

"But he won't be hanging around for long, because I send one card from my hand back to the top of my deck, to bring back my Plaguespreader Zombie!"

He placed a card back on his deck, and the Tuner Zombie returned in Defence Mode (400 ATK/200 DEF)

"So, here comes the Tuning process again!" Mesora said, laughing huskily.

Plaguespreader shot into the air again, glowing eerily, and Ha Des dissolved into stars, which joined up in the Synchro link.

"Now, I Tune my monsters, allowing me to summon my Dark End Dragon!"

The workers cheered, as a black dragon, with a strange second face on its stomach appeared. (2600 ATK/2100 DEF)

"Now, I'll cut my Dragon's Attack and Defence by 500, so I can send your Magician to the Graveyard!" Mesora yelled.

Dark End Dragon's stats fell, and it let out a dark blast, which shattered Chaos Command Magician.

"Now, my monsters! Attack him directly!"

Dark End Dragon and Vampire's Curse rushed at Chaos, and blasted him. He grunted in pain, the energy of the attacks throwing him off slightly.

**(C: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

"Had enough yet?" Mesora asked, ending his turn.

"No, not quite yet. I draw!" Chaos said, drawing another card.

"But let's not forget that your Dragon can't regain its points…" Chaos said. "I'll activate Jar of Greed, allowing me to draw another card."

The smiling Trap appeared, and then dissolved, as Chaos drew a card.

"Now, I'll Summon my Silent Magician Level 4!"

In a flash, a short Magician with short silver hair, wearing white robes appeared. (1000 ATK/1000 DEF)

"Now, I'll activate my Pitch-Black Power Stone!"

The Trap rose, showing a black stone, with an inverted gold pyramid on the front.

"Now, I'll remove the three Spell Counters from my Stone, and give them to Silent Magician!"

The Stone shattered, and Silent Magician's attack rose to 2,500 as a result of its boost.

"Now, Silent Magician! Take out Dark End Dragon!"

The Magician rushed forward, and let loose energy from his staff, which caused Dark End Dragon to explode.

"On that note, I'll end my turn," Chaos said.

**(C: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,600)**

"Fine," Mesora said, drawing. "Just one question: how did that Magician get Spell Counters?"

"That's quite easy. Silent Magician Level 4 can gain up to five counters, at which time, he Levels Up. He's quite rare. I believe the only other Duellist that used one, was the great Yugi Muto," Chaos said, shrugging.

"So, it's that rare…No matter. I'll crush it. First, I'll activate , my facedown Terraforming, allowing me to add Zombie World to my hand, which I activate!"

The field transformed into a wasteland, which only Zombies could find hospitable.

"Now, I activate Malevolent Nuzzler, giving Vampire's Curse a 700 point boost!" Mesora yelled, as his facedown activated and attached to Vampire's Curse.

"Now, Vampire's Curse! Attack!"

The Vampire lunged forward, and bounced off Silent Magician, before shattering.

"What?" Mesora asked, noticing that Silent Magician had 3000 Attack points, from four Spell Counters. "How…?"

"I forgot to mention. Every time you draw, Silent Magician gets another counter," Chaos said with a shrug.

"Well, I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," Mesora said. He had forgotten to mention he had paid 500 Life points, to bring back Vampire's Curse…

A reversed monster appeared, and faded before him.

**(C: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,800)**

"Alright. I'll place one card facedown, and then activate Heavy Storm!"

The Spell card, depicting a whirlwind flashed, and blew all the other cards off the field.

"Now, I'll attack your facedown!" Chaos yelled.

Silent Magician rushed forward, and blasted the monster, which turned out to be another Pyramid Turtle. (1200 ATK/1400 DEF)

"Thanks for that. Now, I'll bring out Vampire Lord!" Mesora said.

The cloaked vampire rose, and evil smile spread across his face. (2000 ATK/1500 DEF)

"Argh…Another one…" Chaos muttered. "I place on card facedown and end my turn."

The card flashed in its reversed position, before vanishing.

"Now, I draw, and bring back Vampire's Curse!"

The vampire returned to the field, smiling with malice. (2500 ATK/800 DEF)

"Now, I equip my Vampire's Curse with Axe of Despair, giving him another 1000 points!" Mesora said, sliding the card into his disk.

"Now, attack that Silent Magician!" Mesora yelled, pointing at the Magician.

"Not so fast! I activate Skull Dice!" Chaos said, activating the face down.

The red dice shot up into the air, and rolled, stopping on four.

"Now your Vampire's Curse is no match for Silent Magician!" Chaos said.

"No!" Mesora shouted, as his Vampire exploded once more. "I pay my 500 Life Points, place this facedown, and end my turn."

A card flashed in its reversed position, and disappeared.

**(C: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,900)**

"Alright, my turn," Chaos said. He drew his card, and smiled.

"I play Cup of Ace!" Chaos said, sliding the card into his disk.

The cup resting on water appeared, as well as a coin.

"Now, I'll call heads. If it is, I get two cards. If not, you get two," Chaos explained.

The coin spun round quickly, and landed on heads.

"Alright! Now, I draw two cards," Chaos said, and drew.

He looked at the two cards. He had no use for the monster yet, but the trap would help.

"I'll place this face down, and attack your Vampire Lord!" Chaos said.

"Not so fast!" Mesora shouted. "I activate my Negate Attack, ending your Battle Phase."

"Fine then. I end my turn," Chaos said, hiding his annoyance.

Vampire's Curse reappeared next to Mesora once more, thanks to its effect. (3000 ATK/800 DEF)

"Thank you. Now, I have finally drawn my top Monster!" Mesora shouted. "I sacrifice my Vampire Lord…"

A light enveloped Vampire Lord, who disappeared into it.

"And Summon my Vampire Genesis!"

A large, hulking Vampire appeared, and roared. The crowd cheered, pleased that they could see the monster. (3000 ATK/2100 DEF)

"Now, I equip Vampire Genesis with Axe of Despair, giving him an additional 1000 points!"

The Axe appeared, which Genesis grabbed, strengthening him. (4000 ATK)

"Now, Vampire Genesis! Attack Silent Magician!"

As Vampire Genesis closed on Silent Magician, Chaos activated a Trap.

"Not so fast! Waboku!" He shouted.

The picture of three mages in blue appeared, and the attack was cancelled.

"I'll end my turn. You've only bought yourself a few rounds…" Mesora threatened.

"Whatever," Chaos said, drawing.

"First off, I Level Up my Silent Magician to Level 8!" Chaos shouted.

A bright light surrounded the young mage, and when it cleared, an older, much more powerful one stood in his place (3500 ATK/1000 DEF)

"Next, I activate my Draw of Desperation!" Chaos said, sliding a card into the disk.

"This allows me to draw up to five cards, as long as I give up one thousand Life Points per card, and then skip my next Draw Phases, equal to the number of cards I draw."

He drew three cards, and his life point meter fell by three thousand.

"Now, I activate Monster Reborn, and bring back my Chaos Command Magician!" Chaos said, activating the Spell.

The image of an angelic ankh appeared, and then formed Chaos Command Magician, who landed beside Silent Magician. (2400 ATK/1900 DEF)

"Then, I summon my Night's End Sorcerer!" Chaos said, slapping a card on the display.

A young, boyish spellcaster appeared, garbed in light, worn robes, with a staff. (1300 ATK/400 DEF)

"No! A Tuner -!" Mesora said, choking on the words.

"That's right. Now I can summon a Monster that I'm sure all Shadows know!" Chaos shouted.

Chaos Command Magician and Night's End Sorcerer jumped up, and broke into eight stars, which formed into one beam of light.

When it cleared, a large, dragon like humanoid appeared, wearing the armour of a heroic knight, with a shield with a golden dragon painted on it in his left hand, and a gleaming long sword in his right.

"Behold," Chaos said, "Jalal the Dragonborn!" (2600 ATK/2400 DEF)

"Humph…" muttered Mesora. "He may be powerful, but he's not even close to being strong enough to take down my Genesis…"

"Jalal has a special effect," replied Chaos, "which I can use once per round, by paying half my Life Points. Having done so, I can remove from play a Spell or Trap from either Graveyard…"

A red aura surrounded him, as his Life Point counter fell. His own discard slot glowed, and a card slipped out of it.

"Once I do that, Jalal gains something called a Rune Counter…"

Jalal's sword glowed with golden energy, and a strange sigil appeared on it.

"Then, by expending the Rune Counter, Jalal can use the effect of the Spell or Trap I removed from play, as if it was his own effect.

"The card I removed from play was this one…"

He held a Spell Card up.

"Lightning Vortex!"

Mesora gasped.

"But that means…" he said.

Jalal became shrouded with magical energy.

"It means your Monsters are about to become history," said Chaos.

"Now, I discard one card, and Lightning Vortex activates!"

He slid a card into his discard slot, and the energy around Jalal became a vortex of light, which sucked Vampire Genesis and Vampire's Curse up, and they shattered into pixels.

"No…" Mesora murmured. "It can't be…"

"Now, Silent Magician! Attack him directly! Silent Magic Attack!" Chaos ordered.

Silent Magician twirled his staff, and let loose a blast of powerful magical energy, that connected with Mesora.

**(C: 450) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,400)**

"Jalal, finish him off!" shouted Chaos. "Sword of the Ancients!"

Metros screamed as the mighty blade cut him down the middle.

He collapsed.

**(S: 450) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

"No…" he cried. "I… I can't lose…"

He looked up, and saw that Chaos was walking up to him, holding something that looked like a large, glowing sapphire.

"Look, can't we work something out?" he pleaded. "I know people!"

"Tell it to the judge," said Chaos. "For now, you're under arrest for the smuggling and possession of Class A and X Drugs, with intent to supply."

"My advice to you is, when you get there, start spilling your guts as to who hired you."

The gem started to glow with far more intensity, and Mesora screamed…

Then, he simply vanished.

Chaos sighed, and put it away.

"Now, I suggest you all surrender peacefully. I don't want to have to get into any violence with any of you. Trust me, you won't be able to stop me," Chaos said, noticing that several had produced hand guns, and other assorted melee weapons.

"Guess it's the hard way with you guys," Chaos said, sighing. He had hoped to avoid physical conflict and confrontation, but he had no choice now.

Before the orc closest to him could fire, Chaos dropped, sweeping the orc's footing out from under him, and smashing his open palm into the orc's neck, causing him to choke.

Another human attempted to shoot, but Chaos pulled out his small sword, and sliced off the barrel of the gun, before smashing a fist into his nose, breaking it.

Another got too close with a gun, and Chaos threw his sword, piercing the goblin's hand. He screamed, shocking the others. The dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.

"That's better," Chaos said. He rounded up the humans in one corner, and bound them for the local authorities to find and arrest. The shadows however, were transported with the same gem, only this time, instead of the main holding cells, he sent them to a detention area in central Australia.

"Let's take a better look at these shipments," Chaos said, climbing into the open cargo hold of the ship.

He pulled out a torch, and flicked it on, casting it round the hold. It appeared normal, with boxes of pharmaceuticals stacked around the area. However, Chaos's Magic Meter was reacting. Whatever was in those boxes had magical properties, and were clearly illegal, breaching the treaty.

Chaos pulled one of the boxes over, and unsheathed his sword, using it to pry the lid open. When it had opened enough, he pulled it off, throwing it to the side, as he re sheathed his sword.

Inside, there was a considerable amount of assorted drugs for medicinal use. However, when Chaos checked through the box, there was an additional layer beneath the drugs. He popped it open, and saw the one thing that he had hoped not to see.

It was a powder substance, which many would say was cocaine, but it gave off a purple-blue magical glow. It had been produced by Shadows, that much was certain. He checked it with the scanner, and the one name he hadn't wanted to see flashed across: **Stygian Dust**.

Chaos shook his head, and gathered some samples into a pouch. He needed to take these back to the Shadowchasers headquarters to determine the potency of the drug, and the level of damage that it could do to the brain in concentrated and prolonged doses.

Chaos sighed again, and pocketed the Dust, clambering up to the control room. He was surprised that the ship was empty, but then that was to be expected; the crew had most likely disembarked, and joined the man on the ground during docking, and they were now in custody or incapacitated.

He checked the helm logs, and was unsurprised at the point of origin. Brazil. These were mostly likely the new drugs, and the Dust had been hidden with them to avoid suspicion. Thought what was really troubling was the fact that there was no details on where the drugs where going, to have the Dust removed. Without that, it would be hard to completely cut off the supply of the Dust.

"Oh, well. I guess that's a mission for another time," Chaos said, exiting the helm.

He sighed, and reached into his jacket, retrieving a pack of cigarettes. He flicked the lid open, and removed one. Out of twenty, he had three so far, over the course of four days. Like he said, he wasn't a big smoker; it was just on occasion, when he had a great urge for one.

He smoked the cigarette quickly, and threw it into the water, as he made his way back to his Runner. He mounted it, locking his Duel Disk into the position, and traded his regular deck for his turbo duel deck. The runner hummed to life, and the large wheel began to spin, gathering revs.

He folded the small front stabiliser wheel into the runner, and hit the throttle, and shot off. Due to the Duel Runner's construction, the sudden burst of speed gave the impression that the Runner had disappeared. Chaos smiled. He enjoyed the speed, because it gave him a few moments of escapism and freedom, which had become rare due to his hectic lifestyle with the Shadowchasers.

Chaos got onto the main streets, speeding down them, throttling the Duel Runner s much as he could. It was the middle of the night; very few people were even awake at this hour, never mind police and security forces. They were either at home, in a hotel, or some other place with a bed. They were all tucked in asleep. Besides, Chaos had checked the specs of other Duel Runners; the chances that there was something that could beat his, never mind catch, was nearly impossible. The only ones capable of it were Shadowchasers, and very few were willing to risk shattering their bodies just to catch one person.

Chaos eased off the throttle when he approached the building; it was a tower block, that had been unused since the owner went into administration. It had been sold off to a private company, and had since been converted into a base of operations, with multiple rooms devoted to overseeing Australia's Shadows, Shadowchasers, and any possible recruits. Of course, to the passerby, it would simply seem like an office of a private charity. At least, that was the cover story.

Chaos pulled into the basement garage, and set his Duel Runner in an open spot, and dismounted after ensuring all systems had been shut down. He sighed, and retrieved the package from the rear compartment of his Runner, and headed for the elevator. At least no one was done here to bother him…

"Wait! Hold up!" A high-pitched voice, that was decidedly feminine, called.

Too late.

Chaos held the elevator open, and a pink haired girl, in a white coat rushed into the elevator before the doors closed.

"Thanks. I hate having to wait for the elevator to come back down. It's a real pain," she said, smiling mischievously at Chaos.

"I have no doubt. It must also be a pain for you to get dragged away from your friends, on a night out," Chaos replied nonchalantly.

"Oh, don't be like that. Just because you don't have a life beyond your work. I did ask you to join us, Chaos," she replied, in a playful tone.

"Well, forgive me if I don't like going to nightclubs, to ingest horrible drinks, ruin my posture with silly dance moves, and destroy my hearing with loud music. If you can call the shite they play 'music'," Chaos replied. "Sorry, Storm. I just don't fit in with you and your friends."

"Well now. You really are opinionated now, aren't you? Can't you just be a nice guy for a change, and not be on the offensive all of the time?" Storm asked.

"Sorry. I just feel like there's no end to this drug circle," Chaos replied. "Today I cut off another shipment, but how many more are there? Where are they all going? And who's in charge of the operation? I have so many questions, but so few answers."

"Don't worry. If there's anyone that can get to the bottom of this Shadow crime spree, it's you. Do you want to here why I'm here?" Storm said, eager to switch subjects.

"No, I'd rather not know why you've come back at this time of night, but I'm sure you'll tell me regardless," Chaos said, shaking his head.

"Well, I heard that there's a new, really cool Shadowchaser that's just arrived from Miami!" Storm yelled, suppressing a girlish 'eep'.

"Miami? You favourite place in the world, Storm. God help the poor guy. Once he meets you, he'll wish he hadn't been transferred here," Chaos said, shaking his head.

"What's that supposed to mean? I bet he and I will get on really well," Storm said folding her arms in an indignant stance.

"Nothing," Chaos said. The elevator stopped on the 32nd floor, which was designated as the arrival's centre, where new recruits would be assigned their trainers or partners.

"Well, this is my stop," Storm said. "Gotta find the new guy. You sure you won't come?"

"Quite sure. Good night, Storm," Chaos said.

He never heard her answer, as the doors closed, and the elevator rose to the 35th floor, which had been converted from a board room, into the meeting area, where Jalal's projection would appear.

The doors opened, and Chaos walked into a comfy-looking lounge, full of expensive furniture, with a fire burning in the fireplace. The fire never went out, and never needed tending or fuel. He didn't know exactly how it worked, only that the boss needed it here for some reason.

As they he down on the couch, a tall figure materialized in front of the fire. He looked transparent, which made sense, seeing as he was a holographic projection. (He was actually in a different part of the world right now, where he directed a global organization that Chaos was only a part of. The hologram was his way of being in multiple places at once.) The figure was well-dressed, although his clothing was very outdated, and he had sharp, very feral features, and long, pointed ears. His skin was richly tanned, and his hair was a rich blonde, almost to the point of being gold.

"Master Jalal," Chaos breathed, straightening slightly.

"Good to see you returned," said the figure, in an accent that was clearly British. "I'm glad you finally got back, because we may not have much time."

"So, the drug is more widespread?" Chaos asked.

"We believe so. Of course, we have no solid proof as of yet," Jalal replied. "I believe that we may need to investigate the underworld circles."

"Oh, that'll be wonderful. I really want to go straight into the lion's den," Chaos said sarcastically.

"Now, there's no need for the attitude. We have no plans yet, as we haven't sufficient proof," Jalal replied. "For now, we will investigate as necessary."

"Fair enough," Chaos said, retrieving the package from his jacket. He laid it on the table, and Jalal glanced at it.

"That's the drug?" Jalal questioned.

"Yes. As we feared, it is Stygian Dust. The most powerful drug created by Shadows, that enhances and heightens brain activity. Though the side effects and withdrawal symptoms can be fatal to any user," Chaos replied.

As Jalal studied the package, Chaos reached into his jacket, and removed a cigarette, which he lit, and began to smoke.

"I thought you had given up," Jalal commented.

"I don't smoke enough to give up," Chaos replied. "Besides, it's mainly only a magical compound, with some plants, and a trace amount of tobacco. These don't lead to cancer."

"It's still a bad habit," Jalal replied.

"Whatever. So, I assume that the drugs will be tested, and checked over, then?" Chaos said.

"Yes, we will investigate them as appropriate," Jalal responded.

"I'd like to begin immediately," Chaos said, standing.

"That won't be necessary. They can be studied from tomorrow morning, when there is a full team. Until then, go back home and get some rest," Jalal advised.

Home. That was funny. Chaos was a few thousand miles from his home.

"Alright then. I'll leave it to the experts," Chaos said, heading for the elevator. Before he called it, he turned back. "Who's this new guy from Miami? Is he as good as they say?"

"I'm sure he'll introduce himself tomorrow, and you can find out for yourself," Jalal replied, without turning round.

"Fair enough," Chaos said, as the elevator doors opened. He stepped in, and hit the button for the basement.

As the doors closed, Jalal called to him.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Brian."

He smiled at that one. He always pushed himself harder than anyone else, and only a select few used his real name anymore. Hell, only a few even knew it.

The elevator doors opened, and Brian walked out towards his Duel Runner. He noticed that Storm had already left; she had probably been turned away for being nosy, and the fact that everyone was asleep.

He mounted his Runner, and shot off into the streets. He travelled along the shoreline road, following into towards the Sydney Opera House, and then turned off down a side street. He stopped at a black of apartments, that were up-market, without being extravagant.

He parked in the basement car park, selecting his usual space at the side, after flashing his registry card. With the Runner parked, and shut down, he removed his Duel Disk, and tucked it under his arm. He sighed, and entered the elevator, taking it up to the 23rd floor.

He exited the elevator, and headed for the apartments at the front of the building, stopping at the fifth. He removed his key from an inner jacket pocket, and unlocked the door. Once inside, Brian quickly resealed the three locks on the door, and entered the kitchen/living area. He turned a single soft light on, a hit the message button on the phone.

He checked his mail, ensuring that nothing important had arrived, before setting it in a pile, and listening to the only message. He hit the replay, and listened.

'_Brian, it's me, Eoin. Are you there? Of course you're not there…You never are. Please call me when you get this. Japan is nice, but I miss my family.' _

Brian shook his head. Eoin was his younger brother, and they had fallen out of touch after the accident. And Brian wasn't interested in re-establishing contact with his family. It would only bring back bad memories, and he didn't want to have to constantly provide counselling and guidance.

He stowed all of his Shadowchaser gear in a cupboard beside the hot press, and placed his decks and duel disk on the shelf. With that done, he undressed, and placed his clothes into the hamper, which was due for going to the washing machine tomorrow. He stepped into the shower, and spent about fifteen minutes in it, allowing the warm water to soothe his aching joints.

When he got out again, he dressed in tracksuit bottoms, and a light shirt. He headed back to the kitchen, and wrote a note on his diary to ring Eoin back. Of course, he had written dozens of those, and he never seemed to get around to making that call. Well, that was just the way things went. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't call a family member that he had relatively little contact with.

He sighed, filling the kettle with some water, before putting it on to boil. He grabbed a mug from the cupboard, in which he put a scoop of coffee and a spoonful of sugar. When the kettle boiled, he added the steaming hot water to the mug and stirred it.

He stepped out onto the balcony, and sat at the table, drinking his coffee in silence. He looked out at the night sky, and the quiet city below. It was hard to believe that the city harboured such a dark side. If that were ever exposed, there would be mass hysteria. Of course, Brian thought about the Stygian Dust that was appearing on the streets. It was becoming a real problem, and would need dealt with.

He let out a sigh of frustration, and returned inside, locking the balcony door, and washing out the mug, before placing it in the dishwasher. His life had a routine. It was far from perfect, but it was his choice. He could finally make a difference. Of course, he had distanced himself from other people, and his nick name had been well earned.

Brian shut off the lights, heading into his room, and climbing into the soft bed. It took only a few seconds from him to fall asleep, and he laid still.

_**It might seem hard to believe, but this life was my choice. I chose to become an outsider, and follow this path. I never had an easy life, but I always wanted to do something worthwhile, and prove to myself that I could actually stop evil. **_

_**Of course, my fights with the Shadows had been intensifying, and I was constantly duelling. I had my suspicions about the true nature of the Stygian Dust, but I had no real concrete evidence, which bothered me. I needed something solid, to follow my instincts. They told me that a powerful force was involved, but my leads always ended with dead ends. **_

_**Though I was surprised to hear that we'd be receiving another Shadowchaser, this time from Miami. I wondered what he would be like, and if Storm would ask him out as soon as they met. She was a little obsessive, but she got the job done, with her Wind based deck. Though, as much as I hate to admit it, I envied her. She still had a somewhat normal life beyond work. **_

_**For me, my life revolved around my work, and my girlfriend was my job. That all quickly changed on the day I attended a Duelling Festival that Sunday, however…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DRAW OF DESPERATION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Cards being drawn from a deck, with a falling life point counter.

**Card Description:** Draw up to five cards, if you have no other cards in your hand. Pay 1000 life points and skip one draw phase for each card that is drawn.

_Note regarding this card:_

_This card was created by myself, and all creative credit and rights belong to me. _

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAOS COMMAND MAGICIAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description:**

Negate the effect of a Monster Card that targets this 1 card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SILENT MAGICIAN LV 4 (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:**

Each time your opponent draws a card(s), put 1 Spell Counter on this card (max. 5). Increase the ATK of this card by 500 points for each Spell Counter on this card. If 5 Spell Counters are on this card, during the Standby Phase of your next turn, by sending this face-up card with 5 Spell Counters on it to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 "Silent Magician LV8" from your hand or Deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SILENT MAGICIAN LV 8 (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,500  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:**

This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of "Silent Magician LV4". This card is unaffected by the effects of your opponent's Spell Cards.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JALAL THE DRAGONBORN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 2,400

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can pay half your Life Points to remove from play 1 Normal or Quickplay Spell or 1 Normal or Counter Trap from either Graveyard to place 1 Rune Counter on this card (max. 1). At any time during your or your opponent's turn, you may remove a Rune Counter on this card to duplicate the effect of the card that was removed from play as this card's effect.

_Note regarding this card:_

_This card was created by __**Cyber Commander**__ for the __**Shadowchasers**__ stories. All creative credit goes to him._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_As Chaos and Storm return to the Shadowchasers headquarters, they meet the new Shadowchaser from Miami, and head down to the Sydney Opera House for the Duelling Festa. Storm enters the Turbo Duel contest, as the Princess of the Storm, fighting against a opponent that has seemingly gone from a endless losing streak to a winning streak. _

_What is the meaning of this? As Chaos, suspects the drug is involved, he is ambushed by a Shadow, and forced into an underground Bio-Band duel. The stakes in this duel are life or death, as Chaos soon finds out when he takes a hit from this mysterious duellist. _

_More will be revealed, in time…Watch out for the next chapter, "Duelling Festa", coming soon. _


End file.
